^ :5V5 


^ ' 

The  Women  of  Korea 

Rev.  Paul  S.  Crane 


“He  being  dead  yet  speaketh” 
“His  works  do  follow  him” 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 

EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE  OP  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 
NASHVILLE.  TENNESSEE 


EDUCATIONAL  DEPARTMENT 


The  Women  of  Korea 

Rev.  Paul  5.  Craue 

Mokpo,  Chosen,  Asia, 

September  10,  1918. 
My  dear  friends  and  co-laborers: 

You  cannot  imagine  how  I appreciate  your 
writing  me  again  and  assuring  me  anew  of 
your  sympathy  and  supporting  prayers.  Noth- 
ing succeeds,  out  here  at  least,  like  having  a 
strong  prayer  band  co-operating  with  us  in 
the  home  land.  I fear  we  are  forgotten  all  too 
often  these  days  when  other  calls  are  so  loud 
and  so  much  more  attractive  to  the  majority 
than  ours. 

I am  going  to  give  you  some  information 
this  evening  about  the  women  of  Korea,  their 
estate  and  their  hope;  and  I hope  you  can  use 
some  of  it  in  a program  on  Korea  during  this 
year. 

The  Women  of  Korea 

The  women  of  Korea — what  a vast  subject  I 
have  before  me  and  what  clouds  immediately 
begin  to  gather!  For  the  estate  of  the  women 
here  is  the  most  overshadowing  you  can 
imagine.  In  any  country  the  estate  of  the 
woman  who  is  preordained  to  be  born  to  suf- 
fering of  body,  mind  and  heart,  the  woman 
who  has  not  placed  her  anchor  on  the  Rock  of 
Ages,  is  certainly  pitiable;  but  here  we  see 
her  condition  emphasized  by  the  growth  of  sin 
until  it  has  gone  to  seed  and  her  face  has  no 
smile,  nor  her  heart  either.  Let  us  go  into  a 
home  and  watch  her  from  her  girlhood,  or  from 
her  infancy  and  see  who  of  us  covet  her  condi- 
tion, or,  on  the  other  hand,  come  to  her  rescue. 

A Korean  Girl  Baby 

A man  with  many  sons  is  that  much  more 
blessed  than  a man  with  none  out  in  Korea. 


[2] 


If  the  baby  is  a boy,  there  is  great  rejoicing, 
but  if  it  is  a girl,  she  is  not  only  an  unwelcome 
guest  from  the  day  of  her  birth,  but  a slave 
to  those  over  her  all  her  days.  The  father 
hides  his  face  in  shame  and  sorrow  when  it  is 
pronounced  that  a girl  has  been  born  to  him: 
and  he  doesn’t  mind  telling  anyone  that  he 
is  an  unhappy  man  on  account  of  it.  The  day 
was  when  he  could  hill  her  if  he  chose.  At 
times  now,  he  may  take  her  to  the  front  door 
of  a rich  man's  house  and  leave  her  there 
until  the  man  or  woman  of  the  house  heai-.s 
the  cry  and  comes  out  and  takes  the  little  one 
in,  not  knowing  the  father  or  mother  of  his 
charge.  Into  such  an  atmosphere  the  little 
treasure  comes,  unappreciated  and  unwelcome. 
This  is  but  the  beginning  of  sorrows.  Not 
long  ago  I heard  of  the  sickness  of  the  girl 
baby  of  the  man  who  works  our  gardens  and 
does  other  outside  work.  I inquired  into  it 
and  found  that  his  five  months  old  baby  girl 
was  simply  starving  to  death  owing  to  the 
departure  of  its  mother  to  Japan  in  search  of  “a 
job  which  paid  big  wages,  and  little  work  to 
do."  After  she  got  there  they  would  not  let 
her  come  back  and  the  father  and  grandfather 
of  the  little  baby  (though  both  professing 
Christians  have  had  the  old  heathen  ideas 
ground  into  them  so  long  that  they  haven’t 
changed  yet),  w-ere  just  leaving  the  baby  to 
starve.  We  got  after  them  about  it  and  they 
only  replied:  "Why,  it's  only  a girl;  who 

ever  heard  of  taking  care  of  a girl  baby?”  fc^o 
we  put  the  child  in  the  hospital  and  paid  for 
its  food  and  it  is  now  well  and  strong  and 
growing  in  spite  of  the  neglect  of  the  parents. 

Child  Life 

She  will  probably  find  her  way  into  our 
school,  for  girls  here  have  unusual  advantages. 
But  suppose  she  were  a little  heathen  girl. 
Then  let  us  follow  her  in  our  mind  to  the  day 
of  her  death.  Day  by  day  as  an  infant  she 


[3] 


might  be  seen  running  the  streets  unclothed 
whether  summer  or  winter.  As  soon  as  she 
can  walk  she  is  big  enough  to  go  almost  any- 
where unattended.  She  plays  with  anything 
she  wants,  screams  at  the  top  of  her  voice  if 
she  can’t  have  anything  she  might  w'ant,  eats 
anything  in  the  way  of  food  that  she  might  find 
in  the  little  roads,  gets  imposed  upon  and 
teased  by  older  children,  at  times  is  injured, 
w'ith  none  to  help  or  sympathize  unless  an 
especially  tender-hearted  playmate  happens  to 
come  by.  Thrown  with  boys  and  girls  from 
just  any  kind  of  family  wdiose  homes  might 
be  in  the  same  neighborhood,  she  might  be  ex- 
pected to  learn  all  kinds  of  talk  and  acquire 
all  kinds  of  habits  which  any  parents  in  Amer- 
ica would  consider  themselves  disgraced  to 
have  their  children  learn.  Things  we  consider 
sacred  and  private  are  the  topics  of  daily  con- 
versation among  them,  w’hile  their  language 
and  habit  of  thought  is  trained  to  be  vulgar 
from  the  home  outwards,  and  we  are  con- 
stantly shocked  at  how^  lightly  and  jestingly 
the  most  highly  cultured  Korean  speaks  of 
those  things  which  we  consider  a shame  to 
speak  of  in  public.  Even  the  adult  Christians 
have  not  so  far  growm  entirely  above  these 
modes  of  thought  and  speech. 

If  we  could  take  this  little  girl  right  here 
and  place  her  in  one  of  our  girls’  schools,  the 
remainder  of  my  description  would  be  entirely 
dilTerest.  I must  leave  her  for  the  present  out 
in  the  heathen  world,  untouched  by  the  gospel 
story  and  under  the  absolute  control  of  all  the 
members  of  her  family  who  happen  to  be  older 
than  she,  w'hether  that  one  be  parent  or  brother 
or  sister. 


A Korean  Girl’s  Marriage 
Day  by  day  her  amusements  are  exceedingly 
limited  and  the  only  plan  w’hich  is  being  ar- 
ranged for  her  by  those  over  her  is  an  early 
marriage  to  someone  with  money  and  influence. 


[4] 


Let  us  say  she  has  reached  the  age  of  twelve. 
The  parents  have  taught  her  nothing  of  how  to 
read  and  given  her  no  advantages  of  education 
whatsoever;  and  now  she  must  have  a husband 
found  for  her.  It  may  be  two  years  or  more 
before  the  youthful  mate  which  satisfies  the 
parents  is  found.  Then  his  parents  are  con- 
sulted and  the  whole  arrangement  is  made 
without  any  regard  whatever  to  the  wishes  of 
the  child.  Needless  to  say,  she  is  to  be  “mar- 
ried off.’  her  real  parents  releasing  every 
further  claim  to  her.  Go  back  to  them  if  she  is 
unhappy?  She  cannot,  unless  her  father-in- 
law  wants  to  get  rid  of  her. 

The  day  of  her  wedding  has  come,  and  the 
thoughts  that  naturally  occupy  the  mind  of 
a young  lady  about  to  take  such  a step  are 
verily  intensified  to  the  fullest  power  of  the 
imagination  to  conceive  a gloomy  future. 
What  is  there  of  joy  before  her?  God  only 
knows:  and  she  doesn’t  know  God.  The  only 
object  of  her  worship  from  her  infancy  has 
been  her  ancestors,  in  the  yearly  sacrifice  be- 
fore their  graves,  and  her  only  source  of  com- 
fort is — I do  not  know.  I cannot  conceive  of 
any.  Can  you?  But  the  great  day  having  ar- 
rived, there  is  no  escape,  so  she  must  submit. 
To  disobey  here  would  be  as  serious  as  that  of 
a girl  in  Syen  Chun  just  a month  ago.  Her 
mother  was  a professing  Christian,  but  hadn’t 
thrown  out  this  heathen  idea  yet;  and  she 
wanted  her  daughter  to  marry  a heathen  man 
of  wealth.  She,  being  a Christian,  refused  to 
do  so.  She  was  only  about  fourteen  years  of 
age.  Having  constantly  refused,  her  mother 
determined  to  force  her  to.  So  she  tied  her 
to  a post  and  had  her  beaten  severely,  then 
left  to  think  the  matter  over.  A playmate,  hear- 
ing her  cries,  ran  to  her  relief  ard  secretly 
cut  the  cords,  freeing  her  companion.  The 
frightened  girl  ran  into  the  underbrush  nearby 
and  finally  escaped  to  the  Christian  girls’ 
school,  where  she  was  in  hiding  from  her  par- 


[6] 


ents  when  last  I heard.  This  particular  girl 
may  escape  the  rod  and  have  a happier  future; 
but  the  little  heathen  of  whom  I am  writing 
knows  nothing  of  any  such  refuge. 

The  Wedding  Day 

The  wedding  day  is  always  a day  of  great 
feasting  and  costs  more  than  any  other  custom 
in  Korea,  the  funeral  feast  coming  next.  All 
the  friends  and  acquaintances  of  the  family, 
the  beggars  and  loafers  of  the  streets  and  any- 
one else  who  wishes,  come  to  the  feast  for 
food  and  strong  drink  and  a “good  time,”  as 
the  men  of  heathendom  around  the  world  see 
pleasure.  After  all  have  gathered,  and  waited 
a few  hours,  a cry  comes  from  without  saying 
that  the  bridegroom  is  coming,  and  all  are  re 
joicing,  for  the  feast  will  now  be  spread  and 
the  hunger  of  the  impatient  crowd  will  be  sat- 
isfied. But  alas,  it  is  a false  report.  After 
several  false  reports,  it  is  announced  with 
great  shouting  that  the  bridegroom  has  actual- 
ly come;  but  instead  of  the  bridegroom  it  is  a 
man  with  a bundle  on  his  back,  tied  there  with 
fancy  ribbons.  He  brings  this  in  and  lays  it  at 
the  bride’s  feet.  It  is  the  chest  full  of  tokens 
from  the  man  she  has  never  seen  perhaps,  her 
husband-to-be.  You  would  think  she  would 
open  it  with  something  of  the  enthusism  of  an 
American  bride-elect,  but  never.  She  can  see 
nothing,  for  long  ago  her  eyelids  have  been 
pasted  shut  with  pieces  of  paper  glued  over 
them,  a sign  of  modesty.  Although  her  wed- 
ding day  is  here  she  shall  not  see  the  man  to 
whom  she  is  to  give  herself  until  at  least  three 
days  after  she  is  married  to  him,  when  he  is  to 
take  her  home  with  him.  No,  the  friends  mere- 
ly open  the  chest  and  announce  to  her  the  dif- 
ferent garments  her  husband-to-be  has  sent 
her.  and  she  is  not  supposed  to  smile  or  move 
a muscle  but  should  stand  like  a statue,  un- 
moved by  the  rejoicing  of  her  friends,  if  she 
is  to  be  modest.  In  the  box,  also,  are  to  be 


[6] 


found  a few  pieces  of  charcoal  and  some  pep- 
pers which  have  been  dried.  And  what  on 
earth  are  they  for?  Why,  they  are  to  be  hung 
up  on  a straw  rope  across  the  front  gate  of 
their  new  home,  when  her  first  child  is  born. 
If  the  child  is  a boy,  both  charcoal  and  peppers 
are  to  be  strung  up  on  the  rope,  but  If  it  Is  only 
a girl,  the  charcoal  is  to  be  strung  up  as  men' 
tinned.  “My,  how  thoughtful  he  was  to  send 
these,”  remarks  some  of  the  friends  standin^; 
by.  “And  what  a good  grade  of  charcoal  It 
is,”  remarks  another;  and  so  goes  the  con- 
versation for  a while.  Then  the  crowd  wait 
around  until  some  get  tired,  and  would  sleep 
if  they  had  a place. 

The  Ceremony 

But  at  last  the  announcement  is  made  that 
the  bridegroom  comes  and  it  is  true  this  time; 
so  the  brothers  of  the  bride  rush  out  to  meet 
him  and  engage  with  his  attendants  in  a kind 
of  sham  battle,  saying,  “You  shan’t  go  in  and 
tal;e  off  our  lovely  sister;  we  need  her  too 
much.”  to  which  he  and  his  friends  reply,  “We 
shall  take  her,”  and  the  latter  always  conquer, 
strange  to  say,  for  the  threats  of  the  bride's 
family  is  all  a bluff,  a mere  pretense;  and  I 
wonder  how  disappointed  they  would  be  if 
the  groom  would  turn  around  and  say,  “Well, 
I will  not  take  her.”  There  would  probably  be 
a real  fight  then.  But  after  the  battle  is  over, 
in  comes  the  groom  and  his  party.  He  rides  a 
little  Korean  mule,  and  he  has  on  a very  pe- 
culiar hat,  that  I cannot  describe,  a strange 
robe  and  boots  that  are  unique.  These  all 
baffle  description,  so  I hope  to  be  able  to 
show  you  some  real  ones  when  I come  home. 
He  comes  up  to  the  bride’s  father  and  bow’s 
very  low,  and  then  the  bride  is  brought  out 
and  the  couple  stand  at  opposite  ends  of  a 
table  which  I will  now  describe  in  brief.  At 
one  end  of  this  table  is  a rooster  and  at  tbe. 
other  a hen.  These  are  typical  of  fruitfulness. 


Also,  at  both  ends  are  empty  beer  bottles  with 
green  switches  of  bamboo  in  them,  typical  of 
“the  green  things  of  life.’’  If  the  chickens 
happen  to  get  loose,  as  they  did  on  one  oc- 
casion of  which  I know,  two  dried  fish  are 
put  at  opposite  ends  of  the  table,  for  there 
must  be  some  representative  of  animal  life  on 
that  table.  While  they  stand  there  at  opposite 
ends  of  that  table,  she,  with  face  covered  with 
huge  sleeves  made  for  the  purpose,  and  he  in 
his  hideous  looking  uniform,  some  attendant 
brings  out  a wooden  goose,  which  is  the  em- 
blem of  fidelity.  The  groom  bows  to  it  three 
times  and  then  the  bride  nine  times,  showing 
that  she  consents  to  be  three  times  as  faithful 
as  he.  I dare  say  she  will  be  truer  to  her 
j)romise,  through  fear,  if  nothing  else,  than  he; 
though  he  may  bring  into  his  home  in  after 
>ears  as  many  wives  as  he  please  or  as  many 
concubines,  she  can  never  have  but  one  hus- 
band while  he  lives,  unless  he  casts  her  off, 
and  then  it  is  most  probable  that  no  one  will 
have  her.  If  he  makes  life  too  bard  for  her, 
she  must  simply  endure  it  without  a murmur; 
for  should  she  run  away,  he  could  pursue  her 
and,  catching  her,  cut  her  nose  off  that  the 
world  might  know  that  she  was  disgraced  for- 
ever, since  she  committed  the  unpardonable 
sin  of  leaving  her  husband.  The  “lord-gentle- 
man” (for  that  is  the  Korean  word  for  a man) 
can  do  as  he  pleases,  provided  he  does  not 
incur  the  displeasure  of  his  father.  His  habits 
are  none  of  his  wife’s  business. 

The  Wedding  Journey 

After  the  wedding,  the  groom  goes  back  to  his 
home  and  waits  from  three  to  ten  days  before 
returning  for  his  wife,  whose  face  he  has  not 
yet  seen.  When  he  comes,  he  brings  a chair 
which  is  covered  like  a decorated  box,  which 
chair  is  borne  by  four  men,  by  means  of  long 
poles  on  each  side.  She  enters  this  box-like 
carriage  and  is  carried.  Just  before  she  goes. 


[8] 


she  IS  supposed  to  cry  like  her  heart  would 
break,  indicative  of  her  unwillingness  to  leave 
her  father’s  home;  and  did  she  know  what 
she  was  probably  going  to,  she  would  probably 
have  no  difficulty  in  performing  this  task  quite 
well.  All  the  way  to  her  new  home,  she  is  to 
say  nothing  to  her  husband  or  to  anyone,  any 
more  than  she  is  to  see  anything,  so  these 
same  sleeves  are  covering  her  face  until  she 
gets  to  her  fahter-in-law’s  home,  where  she 
comes  out  and  bows  to  him  and  all  the  male 
adults  of  the  home,  whose  servant  she  is  to  be. 
Then,  for  the  first  time,  the  groom  sees  the 
bride  which  he  has  brought.  Cases  have  been 
known  where  brides  have  frozen  to  death  in 
these  carriage-chairs  in  bitter  weather,  rather 
than  tell  her  husband  she  is  cold;  and  such 
v.’omen  are  held  up  as  examples  of  the  noblest 
and  most  modest  and  proper  wives.  One 
woman  is  especially  respected  because  she 
didn’t  speak  to  her  husband  for  two  years  after 
her  wedding.  I suppose  this  is  astonishing  to 
some  of  our  American  wives. 

Two  Months  of  Silence 

In  any  case,  the  .bride  is  not  supposed  to 
speak  to  her  husband  for  two  months.  At  no 
time  is  she  to  go  on  the  street  with  him  or 
speak  to  him  should  she  meet  him  on  the 
street.  If  there  is  a feast  or  picnic  or  wedding 
feast  in  the  neighborhood  or  far  away,  he  goes 
and  she  must  stay  at  home.  I know  of  abso- 
lutely no  amusement  or  diversion  that  is  given 
to  the  old  time  Korean  women  of  today.  The 
men  and  boys  have  a little  fun,  but  if  the  girls, 
of  from  14  years  old  up  to  their  death,  have 
any  amusement  provided  for  them  at  all,  I 
have  not  heard  of  it.  If  a gentleman  visits 
her  home,  she  must  go  out  into  a cold  room 
while  the  guest  comes  into  the  warm  with  the 
men  and  has  a good  time.  She  is  not  called 
again  unless  to  do  some  service  or  other. 


[9] 


A Baby  Girl  a “Curse” 

After  months  of  such  slavish  existence,  she 
may  be  “blessed”  with  a boy  baby.  If  so,  all 
well.  Or  she  may  be  “cursed”  with  a girl 
baby.  If  so,  life  is  miserable  for  both;  and, 
unless  a boy  is  born  to  them  later,  she  is  fit 
tor  nothing  but  to  be  cast  off,  if  the  husband 
sees  fit.  The  day  the  child  is  born.  If  the 
mother,  who  has  no  attending  physician  or 
lielp,  lives,  she  will  rise  to  see  the  string  of 
charcoal  or  charcoal  and  peppers,  as  the  case 
may  be,  on  the  front  gate.  So  she  lives  and  so 
she  dies;  and,  if  she  should  die  before  he  does, 
it  is  most  proper  for  him  to  marry  again  in  at 
most  a year,  but  usually  after  six  months.  The 
strangest  part  about  it  is  that  the  women  all 
seem  to  think  just  as  the  men  do  about  it,  they 
too  do  not  want  a girl  baby;  and  even  when 
they  become  Christians,  it  takes  generations 
to  get  the  thought  of  the  curse  of  the  girl 
baby  out  of  their  minds.  Our  nurse  and  cook 
show  all  kind  of  partiality  to  our  little  boy, 
while  they  do  not  scruple  to  tell  you  that  boys 
are  lots  nicer  than  girls.  If  no  boys  are  born 
to  her,  God  pity  her.  It  is  all  the  better  if  she 
has  two  or  ten  or  a dozen  boy  babies,  but  bel- 
ter if  none  are  girls. 

Daily  Toil. 

But  let  us  follow  her  through  her  routine 
and  closely  circumscribed  life.  Every  day  is 
alike,  as  she  knows  no  Sunday,  no  rest  day 
and  no  Christmas  or  other  day  of  rejoicing  for 
her;  so  we  w’ill  describe  but  one  of  her  miser- 
able days  in  her  new  home.  She  is  the  first 
one  who  gets  up  in  the  morning,  if  she  is  of  the 
average  home,  and  starts  the  fire  which  warms 
the  room  and  cooks  the  breakfast  in  the  way  I 
have  already  described.  We  hear  her  before 
day  breaks  pounding  in  the  old  stone  mortar, 
the  food,  which  is  crushed  under  many  blows 
of  the  pestle.  Or  we  hear  her  threshing  out 
the  rice  as  the  wind  blows  the  chaff  away;  for 


[10] 


they  still  follow  the  crude  method,  used  in 
Palestine  centuries  before  Christ,  for  separat- 
ing grain  from  husk  after  beating.  Then,  after 
the  lordly  gentlemen  have  dined,  she  eats  her 
morsel  alone  or  as  her  mother-inlaw,  whom  she 
also  serves,  is  finishing  her  feast,  she  may  be 
allowed  to  sit  down  with  her.  During  these 
days,  cold  or  hot,  she  is  seen  at  a nearby 
stream  or  spring  washing  the  family  clothes 
by  placing  them  on  a rock  and  pounding  them 
until  all  the  water  is  out  and  then  wetting  and 
pounding  them  again.  There  is  nothing  on 
her  head  or  feet,  though  the  summer  sun  beat 
down  with  terrific  heat  or  the  winter's  snow 
and  icy  north  winds  blow  the  thermometer  down 
below  freezing.  She  then  takes  the  clothes 
home  for  ironing,  which  is  done  by  placing 
them  on  smooth  rock  and  beating  them  very 
rapidly  for  a long  time.  Or  she  may  put  some 
burning  charcoals  into  a skillet  and  use  the 
bottom  of  it  for  a smoothing  iron,  if  the  clothes 
are  fine  and  small,  like  ribbons.  As  night 
draws  on  she  must  prepare  the  third  meal  of 
the  day,  no  matter  what  time  of  night  the 
men  may  come  in.  So,  on  any  night  we  can 
see  her  outside  the  room  feeding  the  fire  under 
the  cooking  pot  with  dried  straw  or  pine  tops, 
as  the  gentlemen  sit  within  enjoying  the  heat 
and  rest  and  smoking  their  little  pipes.  It 
might  be  cold,  but  there  she  is,  her  sweet,  sad 
face  looking  down  into  the  burning  embers 
and,  perhaps,  thinking,  or  more  probably  not, 
but  simply  dreaming  or  letting  her  mind  do 
what  it  might.  What  has  she  to  think  of? 
She  can’t  read  or  write  and  she  never  gets  to 
go  to  the  neighbor’s  homes  for  a friendly  visit 
or  a feast  or  other  good  time  like  the  men. 
The  wonder  to  me  is  that  her  mind  doesn’t  dry 
up.  And,  I say  it  with  deep  feeling,  most  of 
them  have;  and  the  missionary  who  seeks  an 
avenue  of  approach  or  a point  of  contact  with 
such  a benighted  soul  has  a task  that  God  must 
do  for  him,  though  through  him,  or  rather  her; 


[U] 


for  the  lady  missionaries  are  the  only  ones  who 
dare  talk  with  her.  I w'ould  give  much  to  be 
able  to  unfold  to  you  the  pitiful  condition  of 
those  thousands  and  millions  of  minds  and 
hearts  of  the  women  of  Korea.  But  I cannot; 
I can  never  know  them  in  this  world  from  more 
than  hearsay  or  testimony  of  the  ladies  who 
have  labored  among  them. 

Difficulties  of  Reaching  Her  With  the  Gospel 

Just  here,  again,  suppose  a faithful  Bible 
woman  comes  up  and  talks  with  her  of  the 
Light  and  Life  and  Love  of  Jesus  Christ!  The 
chances  are,  she  will  have  to  explain  to  her 
the  meaning  of  all  these  terms,  for  she  knows 
nothing  of  either  from  experience.  Say  hope 
to  her,  and  she  is  probably  bewildered  or  will 
laugh  in  your  face  at  the  idea  for  her  ever  hav- 
ing any  hope.  So  a long,  hard  task  and  good 
opportunity  for  the  exemplification  of  Christ’s 
patience  awaits  our  Bible  woman.  She  may 
get  the  point  and  long  for  more  light.  But  when 
will  she  ever  hear  of  that  Jesus  again?  The 
busy  Bible  woman  goes  on,  little  thinking  that 
she  has  made  any  more  impression  on  her 
than  on  hundreds  of  others  who  hear  her  me.s- 
sage  and  do  not  believe.  She  cannot  get  to 
that  home  again  soon,  if,  indeed,  she  ever  gets 
there  again.  Or,  if  she  returns,  she  may  not 
have  an  opportunity  to  speak  to  the  poor  soul. 
But  let  us  suppose  that  this  poor  woman  re- 
ceives the  light  and  finds  a way  to  get  to 
church  with  a neighboring  Christian  woman 
who  comes  by  for  her.  Should  she  believe 
and  w’ant  to  become  a Christian,  will  her  hus- 
band or  heathen  father-in-law  or  mother-in-law 
permit?  God  only  knows.  They  may  forbid 
her  to  go  to  church,  little  thinking  that  they 
are  bringing  the  curse  of  her  blood  upon  their 
head.  Or  they  may  permit  it  until  the  Sab- 
bath comes,  when  she  refuses  to.  wash  the 
clothes  or  do  other  unnecessary  work.  Then 
comes  the  crisis;  it  may  be  a threat  and,  if  she 


[12] 


is  determined,  a beating  or  an  expulsion  from 
the  home  for  anyone  to  have  who  wants  her. 
But  the  most  likely  thing  is  that  she,  in  her 
weak  faith  will  succumb  and  do  the  work. 
Needless  to  say,  it  is  harder  to  reach  her  later. 
She  must  be  born  ajgain  in  every  spiritual  sense 
of  the  word,  and  this  time  bjarn  to  endure  any 
kind  of  pain  of  body  or  mind  which  her  lordly 
rulers  may  take  pleasure  in  bestowing  upon 
her.  Let  me  ask  right  here,  not  what  would 
Jesus  do;  for  this  I know  quite  well,  but,  what 
would  you  do? 

Hopeless  Death 

I wish  I could  present  her  from  here  on  as  a 
child  of  God,  but  to  finish  my  story,  she  re- 
mains a heathen.  Would  you  say  she  had 
heard  and  had  rejected  the  truth,  even  though 
she  had  heard  a sermon  or  two?  Would  you 
call  her  evangelized?  Maybe  so,  it  is  far  more 
than  the  multitudes  get.  But  I wish  she  might 
have  been  placed  in  one  of  our  Christian 
schools  in  her  early  girlhood  instead  of  being 
married  off  so  soon.  Had  she  been,  her  future 
would  have  been  as  different  as  night  and  daj'. 
But  it  is  her  lot  to  live  and  die  a heathen. 
The  mother  of  children,  the  slave  of  her  hus- 
band’s family,  is  now  called  to  take  her  de- 
parture. Without  hope  or  comfort,  physical 
or  mental,  she  tremblingly  crosses  the  bar, 
with  no  pilot  to  guide  her  through  the  vast  un- 
known. She  has  left  her  husband  for  sure,  but 
a worse  thing  than  his  finding  her  has  come 
upon  her.  Her  lot  would  have  been  hard 
enough  had  she  been  cast  out  from  her  hus- 
band’s presence  to  wander  in  a hard  world 
for  anyone  to  claim.  Had  her  husband  died  and 
left  her  a widow,  she  is  disgraced  as  one  whom 
the  spirits  despise,  and  she  becomes  the  tool 
of  any  man  who  passes  by,  unless,  perchance, 
her  life  has  caused  a spark  of  love  to  be 
kindled  in  the  bosom  of  her  “in-laws.”  who 
would  then  protect.  But  what  is  her  lot  when 


[13] 


cast  upon  an  unknown  sea,  which  is  as  bound- 
less as  eternity?  Whose  shall  she  become  now? 
I leave  you  to  answer  the  question. 

Who  Is  Responsible? 

But  I ask  you  one  more  question;  Upon 
whose  head  rests  her  blood?  Who  needs  to  be 
delivered  from  blood-guiltiness?  Is  it  the 
father-in-law?  Well,  it  is  easy  to  say  that. 
But  who  bears  the  burden  of  his  soul’s  bond- 
age? And  why  had  the  mother-in-law  not 
come  *to  the  daughter’s  aid?  Because  she,  too, 
was  a slave  and  still  is  and  will  be  forever,  a 
slave  to  the  customs  and  fears  and  supersti- 
tions of  her  race,  yes;  but  worse,  far  worse,  a 
slave  to  the  arch-enemy  of  the  souls  of  the 
human  race.  Whose  fault  is  it?  The  Bible 
woman’s  or  the  missionaries?  Perhaps  so,  but 
it  may  be  otherwise.  It  is  very  possble  that  she 
is  but  one  of  a million  in  Korea,  who  see  but  a 
spark  of  light  in  the  midst  of  a dark  night, 
which  vanishes  in  a moment  never  to  return 
again.  And  why  does  she  have  no  more  oppor- 
tunities, why  does  not  one  get  her  and  teach 
her,  as  the  child  she  is  throughout  life,  the 
Way,  the  Way  of  life?  If  you  want  me  to  an- 
swer my  own  question,  it  is  simply  this:  The 
harvest  ndeed  is  plenteous,  but  the  laborers  are 
few.”  Pray  ye,  therefore,  the  Lord  of  the  har- 
vest, that  he  send  forth  more  laborers  into  His 
harvest.”  The  missionary  and  the  helper  and  the 
Bible  woman  may  work  on  and  on  here  for 
a generation  or  more  and  not  touch  all  even 
for  a five  minutes  hearing  of  the  Word.  But 
more  laborers  can  touch  more  than  a few. 
Mokpo,  for  instance,  is  calling  for  another 
evangelist,  several  native  helpers  and  more 
Bible  women.  We  want  more  help  for  the 
girls’  school  in  the  form  of  a foreign  woman, 
and  more  money  for  support  of  more  girls  and 
for  more  buildings.  Trace  her  life  back  from 
the  school  to  the  home,  even  though  it  be  a 
heathen  home.  She  has  strength  of  character. 


[14] 


She  didn’t  even  know  the  meaning  of  the  word 
before  she  came  into  the  school.  She  has  faith 
in  a Lord  who  answers  prayers  and  delivers 
those  in  trial  too  great  for  them  to  bear.  She 
leads  a Christian  life  and  often  her  heathen 
parents  are  forced  to  respect  her  character  and 
even  to  respect  her  wishes.  Add  to  this  the 
Christian  education  of  the  men  who  are  to 
make  the  future  husbands  and  you  have  a 
Christian  home  in  the  making.  Will  you  have 
a share  in  this  task?  Thank  God  you  have; 
and  pray  that  He  give  you  more  of  a part  in 
making  the  Kingdom  of  Light  and  Truth  and 
I>ove  in  a land  where  darkness,  falsehood  and 
hate,  slavery  and  despair  have  ruined  lives  and 
determined  destinies  of  countless  millions  of 
sweet,  pitiable  girls  through  many,  many  gen- 
erations. The  blood  of  your  sister  calleth  unto 
thee  from  the  ground.  Will  you  hear  her? 
Will  you  answer? 

Praying  God’s  richest  benediction  upon  you 
and  your  work  for  Him,  while  the  years  are 
rolling  by,  I am. 

Yours  in  Christian  fellowship, 

PAUL  S.  CRANE. 


Note:  The  foregoing  letter  was  sent  to  me 

by  Rev.  Joseph  Rennie,  of  Greenwood,  Miss,, 
and  is  published  in  this  form  that  its  useful- 
ness may  be  enlarged.  The  letter  was  written 
to  friends  in  Mr.  Crane’s  home  church  at 
Carrollton,  Mississippi.  J,  I.  A. 


[15] 


service  Printing  Co.,  Nashville 


